Artificial fish bed

ABSTRACT

An artificial fish bed or fish-settling installation submerged in a body water has a flat base made of concrete, several supporting poles erected on the concrete base at regular intervals, and several layers of shelves secured to the poles. The shelves extend horizontally and parallel with one another and are separated vertically by cylindrical members having a predetermined length which are inserted on each pole between layers of shelves. Each shelf is formed by superposing openings formed in a plurality of substantially square frames and a plurality of plates, and assembling same over the supporting poles. An end cap is applied to the top or free end of each of the supporting poles to hold the various elements of the fish bed structure in assembled position. Preferably, the frames and plates are also formed from concrete.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an artificial fish bed and, inparticular, to an artificial fish-settling installation to be submergedwithin a body of water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, various artificial fish beds of this kind are known, such asone having an arc-shaped section as shown in Japanese Utility ModelApplication Publication No. 55-88667 and another formed by assembling aplurality of ladder-shaped elements as shown in JUAP No. 56-35265.

According to the prior art mentioned above, these conventionalartificial fish beds or fish-settling installations have fixing membersor foundations which are formed by heaping stones on the sea floor. Thestone-heaping operation for forming the foundation of the artificialfish bed is a very troublesome and labor intensive operation. Inaddition, the fixing member cannot expand, but only extends horizontallyalong the sea floor or merely increases in the area of its bottom facewhich contacts the sea floor. This, of course, is disadvantageous.

It has been proposed to develop an improved artificial fish bed which iseasily constructed and installed, capable of enduring strong tidalcurrents and waves, and able to expand in upwards and downwardsdirections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the problems of the prior arthave now been solved by the provision of an improved artificial fish bedor fish-settling installation having a base; a plurality of parallelsupporting poles having first ends connected to the base and free endsextending away from the base, each one of the plurality of poles beingseparated from an adjacent one of the plurality of poles by apreselected distance; a plurality of shelves arranged on the pluralityof poles, each of the plurality of shelves being formed from an assemblyof substantially square planar frames and elongated planar plates, theframes having an aperture disposed in each corner, the apertures beingseparated by the preselected distance, and the elongated plates having apair of apertures separated by the preselected distance, the aperturesin the frames and the apertures in the elongated plates being superposedfor accommodating one of the plurality of poles; a plurality of spacingmembers having a predetermined axial length and an axial aperture forassembly on the plurality of poles, the plurality of shelves and theplurality of spacing members being slidably assembled in alternatinglayers on the plurality of poles whereby the plurality of spacingmembers supports and separates the plurality of shelves above the base;and retaining means for retaining the alternating layers of shelves andspacing members in assembled position. In a preferred embodiment, thebase, the frames and the plates are formed from concrete, and theplurality of poles and the retaining means are formed from a metal. In astill more preferred embodiment, the retaining means comprise aplurality of end caps threadedly engaged to the free end of each of theplurality of poles.

Optionally, the artificial fish bed of the present invention includes aplurality of nettings connected between the plurality of shelves toprovide shaded areas in the artificial fish bed.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novelartificial fish bed or fish-settling installation which is easilyconstructed and installed on the sea floor, which is capable of enduringstrong tidal currents and waves, and which is expandable in upwards anddownwards directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the presentinvention and the various advantages thereof can be realized byreference to the following detailed description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of an artificial fish bed in accordance withone preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the artificial fish bed of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the artificial fish bedshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the artificial fish bed ofFIG. 1 installed on the sea floor; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of an artificial fish bedin accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the first embodiment of the present invention shown inFIGS. 1-4, an artificial fish bed or fish-settling installation 1 has abase or foundation 2 made of concrete, a plurality of supporting poles 3erected on the top surface of the base 2 and separated from one anotherat equal intervals in both lengthwise and breadthwise directions, and aplurality of shelves 4 stacked vertically one atop the other or inlayers having spaces therebetween.

The shelves 4 include a plurality of frames 5 and a plurality of plates6 having the same thickness as that of the frames, the frames 5 andplates 6 being assembled to construct plural layers of the shelves 4. Inthe preferred embodiment, each frame or shaped member 5 has asubstantially square shape with four openings or through holes 50respectively positioned at its four corners. The interval or distancebetween the through holes 50 of the frames 5 is the same as that betweenthe supporting poles 3 erected on the base 2, so that the poles 3 may bealigned with and inserted through the openings 50 of the frames.Similarly, each plate 6 has a pair of openings or through holes 60formed therein at the same interval as that between the supporting poles3 on the base 2, the positions of the openings 60 coinciding with thesupporting poles 3.

Each layer of the artificial fish bed 1 of the present invention isformed by assembling a plurality of frames 5 on supporting poles 3 suchthat they coextend in a single plane. A plurality of plates 6 and frames5 are then assembled over the coextending plane formed by frames 5,thereby connecting the individual frames 5 together, as shown in FIG. 2.Such assembly operation is extended in a lengthwise and breadthwisedirection along the top surface of the base 2 in order to form eachlayer of the artificial fish bed 1.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, a plurality of cylindrical membersfunction as supporters during the assembly of artificial fish bed 1. Byinterposing and inserting the cylindrical members 7 on supporting poles3 between adjacent layers formed by frames 5 and plates 6, the shelves 4at various levels are separated vertically by a predetermined height ordistance. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, sixteensupporting poles 3 are erected on the base 2 in an array of, forexample, four poles by four poles, and a cylindrical member 7 isinserted on each of these supporting poles 3. Subsequently, one frame 5is inserted on the four supporting poles 3 at each of the four cornersof one shelf 4, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2, and one frame 5 isinserted on the four supporting poles 3 located at a central portion ofthe assembly, overlaying each of the four corners of the central frame 5on the respective innermost or centralized corners of the frames 5firstly placed at the corners of the assembled shelf 4. One plate 6 isplaced between one inner and outer corner of one frame 5 and one innerand outer corner of another frame 5 along one of the four sides of thesquare shelf 4. As shown in FIG. 2, a total of four plates 6 are placedon the respective sides of the square in the manner described. It isapparent from the assembly method described that each of the sixteensupporting poles 3 is inserted through the coinciding openings betweeneither two frames 5 or a frame 5 and a plate 6, thereby forming a singleshelf 4. Subsequently, sixteen cylindrical members 7 are inserted one byone on each of the sixteen supporting poles 3. By repeating the assemblyof frames 5, plates 6 and cylindrical member 7 as described above, anartificial fish bed having a desired number of separated shelves 4 maybe formed.

In the final stage of assembling or installing the artificial fish bed 1of the present invention, sixteen stoppers or end caps 8 are appliedonto the exposed top or free ends of the supporting poles 3 erected onthe concrete base 2. The end caps 8 may be formed with variouscross-sectional shapes, such as a cylinder, square or polygon, andpreferably are secured to the free ends of supporting poles 3 by anysuitable means, including screwing, threading, concreting, and the like,thereby preventing any of the frames 5, plates 6 or cylindrical members7 from floating upwards or becoming disassembled from the supportingpoles 3.

Preferably, the base 2 of the fish bed 1 is placed on a substantiallyhorizontal surface of the sea floor, so that the respective surfaces ofshelves 4 extend horizontally or parallel with the sea floor as shown inFIG. 4. As a result, a wave W or tidal current flowing along thedirection of arrow X shown in FIG. 4 has no affect on the artificialfish bed 1 installed on the sea floor.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention shownin FIG. 5, coarse wire nettings or gratings 70 are placed in the spacebetween the frames 5 and plates 6 in one shelf 4 and the frames 5 andplates 6 in an adjacent shelf 4. The edges of the coarse wire netting 70are fixed to the bottom and top faces of the frames 5 or plates 6,respectively. As shown in FIG. 5, oyster shells and the like are placedor fixed on and around the gratings or coarse wire nettings 70, therebyproviding shade for the fish residing in the artificial fish-settlinginstallation.

In assembling the fish bed 1 of the present invention, a plurality ofcolumns or supporting poles are erected on a concrete base in a suitablearrangement at predetermined positions. Several sets of frames, platesand cylindrical members are inserted on the supporting poles throughopenings formed at each corner of the frames and end portions of theplates in order to assemble several horizontal layers of shelves, endcaps being secured to the free ends of the columns after the severallayers of shelves have been assembled thereon. It should be noted thatthe assembling operation of the artificial fish bed 1 can be performedon land, ship, or the surface of the sea, and the completed fish bed maythen be submerged and installed on the sea floor.

Obviously, the height of the fish bed can be increased simply byincreasing the number of layers which are formed. Additionally, changingthe length of the cylindrical members 7 will alter the number of layersof shelves 4 which can be assembled on the supporting poles, as well asthe vertical distance therebetween. By assembling the shelves 4 onsupporting poles 3 which are fixed to the base 2, the shelves areprevented from thrusting or moving in a horizontal direction. Moreover,since the shelves 4 are securely held in a horizontal orientation, theyprovide little resistance to oncoming currents and waves so that nobreakage or movement of the fish-settling installation occurs. Hence,the artificial fish bed 1 of the present invention provides a practicaland durable installation.

The various frames, plates, cylindrical members and end caps which formthe artificial fish bed of the present invention may be made from anysuitable material, such as metal, concrete, plastic and the like. Inaddition, the artificial fish bed may be assembled from individualcomponents which are all made from the same material or, alternatively,from a combination of components each formed from a material which ismost suitable for the particular component.

I claim:
 1. An artificial fish bed comprising,a base, a plurality ofparallel supporting poles having first ends connected to said base andfree ends extending away from said base, each one of said plurality ofpoles being separated from an adjacent one of said plurality of poles bya preselected distance, a plurality of shelves arranged on saidplurality of poles, each of said plurality of shelves being formed froman assembly of substantially square planar frames and elongated planarplates, said frames having an aperture disposed in each corner, saidapertures being separated by said preselected distance, and saidelongated plates having a pair of apertures separated by saidpreselected distance, said apertures in said frames and said aperturesin said elongated plates being superposed for accommodating one of saidplurality of poles, a plurality of spacing members having apredetermined axial length and an axial aperture for assembly on saidplurality of poles, said plurality of shelves and said plurality ofspacing members being slidably assembled in alternating layers on saidplurality of poles, whereby said plurality of spacing members supportsand separates said plurality of shelves above said base, and retainingmeans for retaining said alternating layers of shelves and spacingmembers in assembled condition.
 2. An artificial fish bed as claimed inclaim 1 further comprising a plurality of nettings connected betweensaid plurality of shelves to provide shaded areas in said artificialfish bed.
 3. An artificial fish bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidbase, said frames and said plates are formed from concrete.
 4. Anartificial fish bed as claimed in claim 3 wherein said plurality ofpoles and said retaining means are formed from a metal.
 5. An artificialfish bed as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a plurality ofnettings connected between said plurality of shelves to provide shadedareas in said artificial fish bed.
 6. An artificial fish bed as claimedin claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprise a plurality of endcaps threadedly engaged to said free end of each of said plurality ofpoles.
 7. An artificial fish bed as claimed in claim 6 wherein saidbase, said frames and said plates are formed from concrete.
 8. Anartificial fish bed as claimed in claim 7 wherein said plurality ofpoles and said plurality of end caps are formed from a metal.
 9. Anartificial fish bed as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a pluralityof nettings connected between said plurality of shelves to provideshaded areas in said artificial fish bed.